Following a two month break, the Emirates Desert Championship, the UAE’s national baja rally series

for cars, buggies, motorcycles and quads, returned for its fourth round in Al Faqa’a.

In the motorcycle category, South African Ross Runnalls seemed to already have one hand on the title, but while leading the race on the penultimate lap, the Kawasaki rider seemingly pushed his bike too hard

and blew his engine.

This left the door open for Kuwaiti Mohammed Jaffar and his Emirati teammate Mohammed Al Balooshi, who started the race third and fourth in the championship respectively, to go through and earn some valuable points to close the gap on Runnalls. Briton Olly Eveleigh took third position to complete an all KTM podium.

In the quad race, Saudi Arabia rider Abdulmajeed Al Khulaifi became the fourth winner in as many events to leave the championship fight wide open.

In the buggy category, Emirati Ahmed Al Fahim led the Polaris UAE to a clean sweep of the podium, with teammates Emirati Omar Sawan and Indian Mohammed Gulzar in second and third place respectively.

In the cars event, Emirati Khalid Al Jafla topped the podium in his T3 class Polaris, followed by Emirati Ali Matar Al Ketbi and Briton Ian Barker in a pair of Nissan Patrols.

The fifth and final round of the championship is scheduled for Friday, March 4.

The Emirates Desert Championship is organised by the Emirates Motor Sport Federation (EMSF) with the support of the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE).